Best Cities to Retire

Life is full of achievements, from graduations to promotions and buying a house, all the way to retirement. It’s important for us to celebrate and reward ourselves for those achievements. For retirees, enjoying the golden years is what all that hard work was about. Seeking to determine the best cities in the U.S. for retirees, we used 24 data points from nine sources. Below you will find the results, as well as a detailed methodology describing how we arrived at them.

Best Cities to Retire

Here is how 200 metropolitan statistical areas with qualifying data stacked up in the three separate categories that we studied. In all rankings below, a lower number is better than a higher number.

Rank

City

Housing and Taxes

Healthcare and Safety

Travel and Leisure

1

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

7

35

53

2

Fort Collins, CO

38

7

87

3

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

54

22

12

4

Prescott, AZ

4

63

94

5

Jacksonville, FL

39

13

38

6

Boise City, ID

56

3

33

7

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

22

47

22

8

Santa Rosa, CA

71

42

9

9

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

81

21

18

10

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

27

34

49

11

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

36

30

129

12

Boulder, CO

84

8

68

13

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

30

57

48

14

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

45

55

60

15

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

5

78

85

16

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

45

32

36

16

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

52

23

156

18

Reno, NV

8

92

76

19

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

9

96

160

20

Columbia, SC

37

28

62

20

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

76

38

6

22

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

96

20

1

23

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

87

58

5

24

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

58

17

133

25

Colorado Springs, CO

53

98

52

26

Kennewick-Richland, WA

78

2

111

27

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

104

15

18

28

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

29

132

20

29

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

79

39

7

30

Gainesville, FL

55

43

54

31

Charlottesville, VA

67

41

158

32

Provo-Orem, UT

95

11

109

33

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

32

76

78

34

Chico, CA

47

79

25

34

Jackson, MS

40

9

152

36

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

30

49

161

37

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

13

130

166

38

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

122

44

8

39

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

11

142

151

40

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

61

63

69

41

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

28

88

98

42

Anchorage, AK

106

31

82

43

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

10

99

178

43

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

101

51

63

45

Ocala, FL

6

164

107

46

Tucson, AZ

1

185

57

47

Port St. Lucie, FL

15

127

195

48

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

114

44

3

49

Salt Lake City, UT

117

25

70

50

Portland-South Portland, ME

144

1

99

51

Columbus, GA-AL

63

29

126

52

Albuquerque, NM

14

151

43

52

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC

2

192

92

54

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

126

35

2

55

Richmond, VA

112

55

58

56

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

25

77

145

57

Urban Honolulu, HI

48

163

13

58

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

151

27

32

59

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

20

173

66

60

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

57

88

77

61

Greeley, CO

84

110

88

62

Duluth, MN-WI

137

4

169

63

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

97

53

47

64

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

19

189

34

65

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

142

26

10

66

St. Louis, MO-IL

107

81

31

67

Asheville, NC

35

160

128

67

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

184

10

21

69

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

18

154

104

70

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

193

12

40

71

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

179

17

25

72

Huntsville, AL

3

193

117

72

Tallahassee, FL

51

174

46

74

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

137

86

4

75

Roanoke, VA

72

119

131

76

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

88

134

37

77

Tuscaloosa, AL

44

105

123

78

Pittsburgh, PA

132

52

100

78

Springfield, MO

65

117

85

80

Bakersfield, CA

108

84

14

81

Montgomery, AL

12

169

133

82

Austin-Round Rock, TX

140

70

27

83

Sioux Falls, SD

109

48

127

84

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

91

90

81

84

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

15

181

75

86

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

21

125

200

86

Madison, WI

185

6

102

88

Raleigh, NC

131

93

30

89

Lynchburg, VA

66

175

95

90

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

69

112

132

91

Knoxville, TN

17

162

148

91

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

49

151

50

93

Lafayette, LA

41

165

55

94

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

23

137

159

95

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

42

139

113

96

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

100

97

45

97

Salinas, CA

128

113

11

98

Norwich-New London, CT

162

65

74

99

Fort Wayne, IN

94

83

166

99

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

174

33

96

101

Visalia-Porterville, CA

125

73

56

102

Evansville, IN-KY

75

99

193

103

Baton Rouge, LA

50

158

64

103

Eugene, OR

111

103

115

105

Fresno, CA

127

95

17

106

Ann Arbor, MI

168

5

190

107

Charleston, WV

25

157

174

108

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

136

59

150

109

Wilmington, NC

62

194

89

110

Fort Smith, AR-OK

43

126

171

111

Spartanburg, SC

34

135

180

112

Kansas City, MO-KS

160

80

39

113

Barnstable Town, MA

103

166

113

114

Clarksville, TN-KY

70

127

121

115

Salem, OR

146

118

41

116

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

102

99

184

116

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

123

65

177

118

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

139

75

79

119

Chattanooga, TN-GA

33

180

170

120

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

77

136

188

121

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

163

40

165

122

Yakima, WA

105

105

130

123

Lexington-Fayette, KY

92

121

109

124

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

170

35

189

125

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

178

91

67

126

Cedar Rapids, IA

159

62

156

127

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

149

71

59

127

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

74

179

61

129

Columbus, OH

180

24

105

130

Salisbury, MD-DE

97

139

182

131

Greensboro-High Point, NC

68

150

163

132

Topeka, KS

129

107

112

133

Green Bay, WI

191

17

172

134

Manchester-Nashua, NH

197

16

186

135

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

158

49

138

136

New Haven-Milford, CT

186

72

72

137

Mobile, AL

24

191

164

138

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

199

54

65

139

Savannah, GA

90

127

119

140

Corpus Christi, TX

64

199

73

141

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

190

60

116

142

Oklahoma City, OK

82

148

139

143

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

86

169

44

144

Macon, GA

59

160

153

145

Appleton, WI

200

14

173

146

Springfield, MA

176

61

140

147

Killeen-Temple, TX

114

139

84

148

Merced, CA

119

155

16

149

Lubbock, TX

118

115

93

150

Stockton-Lodi, CA

135

149

15

151

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

157

46

155

151

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

145

103

187

151

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

89

178

51

151

Winston-Salem, NC

60

187

191

155

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

129

159

35

156

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

166

99

71

157

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

73

177

118

158

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

198

74

91

158

Rochester, NY

177

67

149

160

Modesto, CA

154

111

23

161

Lincoln, NE

196

68

143

162

Erie, PA

143

107

135

163

Syracuse, NY

171

85

136

164

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

181

86

142

165

Worcester, MA-CT

192

68

101

166

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

153

130

28

166

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

121

138

146

166

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

156

81

199

169

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

124

124

196

170

York-Hanover, PA

181

121

108

171

El Paso, TX

97

186

97

172

Wichita, KS

152

145

82

173

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

172

132

42

174

Amarillo, TX

93

181

144

175

Fayetteville, NC

110

169

89

176

Tulsa, OK

80

195

154

177

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

195

113

147

178

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

189

116

23

179

Flint, MI

116

169

185

180

Binghamton, NY

155

144

192

180

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

147

142

122

182

Peoria, IL

150

151

168

183

College Station-Bryan, TX

141

121

124

184

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

175

109

106

185

Dayton, OH

112

176

179

186

Lancaster, PA

167

146

197

187

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

83

196

198

188

Reading, PA

183

167

79

189

Laredo, TX

134

197

29

190

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

188

94

103

190

Utica-Rome, NY

161

120

194

192

Canton-Massillon, OH

133

190

176

193

Trenton, NJ

164

181

120

194

Champaign-Urbana, IL

165

147

175

195

Waco, TX

119

198

141

196

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

173

168

137

197

Akron, OH

147

188

183

198

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

194

156

125

199

Toledo, OH

169

184

162

200

Rockford, IL

187

200

181

Best and Worst Cities...

In order to best represent a retiree’s interests, we broke down our 24 data points into four specific categories. Below is an explanation of each category and why we feel it is important as well as detailed descriptions of some of the data points that compose them.

Housing and Taxes

Many retirees downsize their living space when retirement age hits. The kids have moved out and a large home isn’t needed anymore. Retirees want to decrease their expenditures as much as possible to maintain financial stability and focus on enjoying themselves. We felt housing costs and taxes were important in this case. The U.S. Census Bureau, which provided us with 11 data points, showed the mean retirement income for a city’s population 65 and older.

Healthcare and Safety

As people grow older, healthcare becomes more of a necessity. Retirees want to know that if a medical problem does arise, they will be taken care of. Another thing that brings peace of mind is a city’s safety. Using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s crime data, we looked at the number of burglaries in a city. In order to account for a city’s population, we measured the data point per 100,000 residents.

Travel and Leisure

Have you ever dreamed of taking a trip, traveling to all the countries you want to see but then time and money shatter the dream? For retirees, some of those hurdles are removed. We felt it was important that a city provide multiple options and resources for retirees to spend their free time -- from airline flights to favorable outside weather. Using the U.S. Census Bureau, we took a look at the number of services for the elderly and people with disabilities per 1,000 residents 65 and older.

Quality of Life

Lastly, we wanted to look at overall quality of life. Do retirees have the free time and financial stability to enjoy themselves? These last four data points help us get a fuller picture of retired life. Not all our data points were available at the city level, but for data we felt was important we were able to stretch state data to each city within that state. The United Health Foundation provided three of these data points, including percentage of adults aged 65 years old and older who self-report very good or excellent health.

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for retirees, we looked at 24 data points from nine reputable sources. Not all data points had data available for every city. In these cases, cities without a data figure were given a last-place ranking in that specific category. Incomplete data points were given a lower weighting (in parenthesis below) in order to accommodate for missing data. The four separate categories were also weighted to best capture what we believe is most important to retirees.

Every retiree is going to have different priorities when he or she decides -- or is able -- to put
the 9 to 5 in the rearview and look forward to some much-deserved R&R. Our 24 data points attempted to capture all the different aspects of an enjoyable retirement –- from quality healthcare to leisure activities and the financial stability to enjoy them.

Below, we breakdown each statistic and point to its origin. Those marked with an asterisk are state-based (not city-based).

Experts' Take

← Pamela Atwood is a gerontologist working as the director of dementia services for Hebrew Healthcare in West Hartford, Conn.

1. What factors should be considered when determining the best cities for retirees?

Transportation that is accessible, safe and affordable; strong social support networks -- whether for bridge or aging and HIV; access to geriatricians, specialists and a broad spectrum of community services.

2. How is a city affected both positively and negatively by the number of retirement-age people?

Positive would be inter generational influence, living history, tolerance of different cultures and perspectives, greater human development, which continues throughout the lifespan.

3. How has retirement lifestyle changed in the last 10, 20, 30 years?

Retirement has changed drastically and will continue to. Currently, retirees are much more engaged in their communities, policy-making and influencing the economy. In the past, disengagement was expected and considered normal. Now we expect activity at the same or cose to the same level as pre-retirement. We are also seeing more grandparents retiring to take care if grandchildren as alternatives to institutionalized child day care.

4. How do retirees affect the job market? Is the retirement age going up a good or bad thing?

The job market is difficult. Overall, older workers have great experience and are generally open to trying new things; resistance to change is a myth. A major challenge is caregiving issues and need for job accommodations for physical limitations, like ergonomics for neck pain or surgery for carpal tunnel. There's also the myth that they compete with younger people for jobs: With the squaring of the pyramid population-wise, there won't be enough workers.

← Scott Page is an author and the president and CEO of the Lifeline Program in Tucker, Ga.

1. What factors should be considered when determining the best cities for retirees?

Healthcare, as we age we require more frequent visits to the doctor. Make sure that you target places with the quality health care that you will need, and be sure it is easily accessible. Having to travel long distances to the doctor’s office is not a good idea.Consider cost of living: Search for Cities that are located in tax-friendly states. The last thing you need is the IRS asking for part of your Social Security check.Then there's climate: Never underestimate the power of mother nature. Unless you are going to pay someone to shovel snow or transport you in a four-wheel drive, set your sights on a place you can enjoy a breath of fresh air without freezing to death in the process.

2. How is a city affected both positively and negatively by the number of retirement age people?

There is strength in numbers. Look for cities with a large population of folks your own age. This will naturally bring more business and services focused on the population and make life much easier.

Also, while a large senior population will require the proper infrastructure to accommodate them, it comes with the benefits of more tax revenue, lower crime and a vast wealth of experience and wisdom.

3. How has retirement lifestyle changed in the last 10, 20, 30 years?

The good news is, people are living longer. The bad news is, how are you going to pay for it? Longevity has increased over the years and so have advances in health care. Seventy is the new 60! Stay active and focus on activities that engage your mind and body since studies reflect doing so will help you live a longer and happier life.

4. How do retirees affect the job market? Is the retirement age going up a good or bad thing?

This is a great thing. We all know that the younger generation is not interested in actually working for a living, so employers are focusing on hiring active seniors. Not only because they will take the position, but they are more responsible, have great experience, have life-long skills and they are not focused on playing with their phones all day.

1. What factors should be considered when determining the best cities for retirees?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a city to retire in. Knowing that there are a variety of recreational activities for retirees is the first step. Retirees these days don’t want to feel “old” –- in fact, they want to re-spark their passions for activities that they didn’t have time for when they were younger. A city may be vibrant for a younger crowd but have a dull or non-existent retiree community. Part of spotting a vibrant retiree community is finding out how many retirees live in the area. The more there are, the better chance a retiree has of finding activities that can allow them to meet peers interested in similar things.

Another thing to look for is quality healthcare in the area. As retirees get older, there are many risks for injuries and chronic health issues to become more severe, and it’s important to feel confident that those needs will be addressed in a professional manner.

2. How is a city affected both positively and negatively by the number of retirement age people?

For retirees, having a higher population of seniors in the area usually correlates with a more active senior community, simply because there are more people who want to be involved. A more active senior community means there are more events and resources that retirees can have access to for the rest of their lives. This is generally a positive for seniors and retirees as it prevents social isolation and gives them goals and rewards after work can no longer provide them. Some cities create multigenerational programs that allow younger people to interact with retirees, creating a stronger community bond and spreading knowledge from one generation to the next. One of the other interesting things that happen in cities with high retiree populations is that the male-to-female ratio begins to shift. Women tend to live longer than men, so the older the age of the city, the more the gender ratios shifts toward women. For female retirees looking to date (especially if they are older), this may create problems.

3. How has retirement lifestyle changed in the last 10, 20, 30 years?

As baby boomers retire, there is a distinct fear of considering themselves as “old.” They want to keep their independence and live like they always have, especially if they are still healthy. And as they retire later and live longer than any generation before them, retirees are saving more money to live long, enriched lives to pursue their passions after they stop working.

4. How do retirees affect the job market? Is the retirement age going up a good or bad thing?

When the average retirement age is 65, giant holes are left in the job market. The problem is that there aren’t enough trained and experienced employees to replace the retirees. So employers are faced with economic costs of hiring and training new employees. The higher the training costs, the more you’d want to retain current employment. There’s also profitability costs when less-skilled workers are trying to step into the shoes of a seasoned worker. Retirees may bring more jobs to the job market, but they’re jobs that the majority of workers are unqualified for.

Today, men are expected to live 17 years after the traditional retirement age and women are expected to live another 20. The retirement age going up as people are willing to work later into their lives is actually a good thing. A higher population of retired workers is a higher population of the country that’s not contributing to the economy and that’s dependent on others -- usually their children or the government -- for support.

← Rodney Harrell is the director of livability for AARP.

1. What factors should be considered when determining the best cities for retirees?

Although most people prefer to stay in their homes and communities as they age, there is a large group of people who plan to move in retirement. We see that most people who chose to move in retirement want to move in order to be closer to family. However, there are those who are looking for a different lifestyle in retirement; some chose to move from the suburbs to more urban spaces.

For those individuals looking to move to the city, there are many factors that come into play when it comes to deciding the best place for an individual to retire and a lot of those factors are based on personal needs and wants. AARP’s Livability Index tool allows individuals to search and compare locations based on a number of factors broadly organized into seven categories -- Housing, Neighborhood, Transportation, Environment, Health, Engagement and Opportunity.

2. How is a city affected both positively and negatively by the number of retirement
age people?

This depends on the city. A city that has done a good job of planning to be age-friendly gets the positive aspects of older adults aging there by choice, whether they are older residents who are able to keep their friends, family and favorite places nearby, or whether they are new to the area and are moving there because of amenities that the city has. In those places, impacts are mostly positive -- a multigenerational community where people are able to access all of the community features.

In other places, they have been unable to develop the options for housing, transportation, shopping and other facilities that older adults want and need. This can be because of a variety of local challenges. In these places, older adults (and the communities) must make up for that shortfall. For example, a community where older adults are unable to safely use the public transportation system must find other ways to meet their needs. If they can't, the older adults who can't afford their own resources must do without. The cities that don't or can't plan ahead must do more to make up for that.

3. How has retirement lifestyle changed in the last 10, 20, 30 years?

Consumer tastes have been evolving. The 55-plus retirement community doesn't work for everyone, and as people stay in their homes and communities as they age, new technologies and advancements can help make things easier. Staying connected to one’s community is important to many people, and everything from designing sidewalks and benches in a town's downtown for people of all ages to designing homes and products with universal design to using social media to reach family, friends and neighbors have helped people of all ages be more connected.

Stay tuned as we poll experts in the field about what makes a city great for retirees. Have a tip? Drop us a line @VP_Careers.

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